The Second Chance of A Suicidal Idol

A Final Stretch (8)

"-woo! [Get off of him you freak!]" Reggie yelled, running over and practically shoving Kim Seo-jun off Joon-woo.

It took a long shove from Reggie to get Kim Seo-jun fully onto the ground. "What the fuck is wrong with you!" Reggie yelled again.

He turned to Joon-woo, who had found solace in squatting with his face covered by his hands. Reggie shook his head, watching Kim Seo-jun try to climb up from the floor with swinging fists.

Just as Reggie went to shove him back down to the floor again, Joon-woo with an unheard of force, kicked Kim Seo-jun back down hard. He fell with a thud.

Reggie looked at his friend's disheveled state.

They were all still in stage outfits. Granted, they were all a little messed up now. Joon-woo's was the worst. His collar was wrinkled and his sweater was lightly pushed up.

Reggie stopped. Had Kim Seo-jun tried to... hit Joon-woo? He placed his hand over his mouth.

"You crazy bastard!" Reggie yelled, his eyes full of rage. Joon-woo's were too. They both weren't thinking. They both looked at Kim Seo-jun with malicious eyes. Kim Seo-jun returned them in full force. "Aren't you 22? Why are you trying to beat up an 18 year old, huh?"

Joon-woo, in his attempt to calm down, noticed that Kim Seo-jun's lackey had fled the scene. He took a deep breath. Rank 14  probably went to get security. Joon-woo clicked his tongue.

"Reggie." Joon-woo's voice was still shaky with trauma.

Reggie turned Joon-woo's way. His eyes softened.

"The other one is gone. He's probably getting security. Just– just follow my lead, okay?" Joon-woo asked.

Reggie sent a look Kim Seo-jun's way. The other was brushing himself off, holding his side as if it hurt. "I– Okay." Reggie replied, placing trust in his friend.

Just a few moments later, security came rushing in. 

Joon-woo pushed his sweater up more, revealing his oddly tilted skirt waistline. He disheveled his own hair and smugged his eye make-up to make it look like he was crying. He signaled for Reggie to turn angrily towards Kim Seo-jun and take a defensive stance .

"Hey. Hey, boys!" The security guard rushed in, standing in between Kim Seo-jun and Reggie. The security guard looked towards Joon-woo, his eyes widened at his disheveled state. "What's going on here?"

Reggie looked at Joon-woo for further direction.

Joon-woo looked to the floor, he raised a show finger towards Kim Seo-jun who was muttering curses under his breath. "H-he, he tried to touch me..." He lied. He was good at playing out that type of trauma.

Reggie nodded reaffirming, "I saw."

His acting needed work, Joon-woo thought.

Kim Seo-jun nodded his head, "I did not! Don't lie to try and save your ass!"

Joon-woo shook his head, "He's was accusing me of sleeping with the producers and– and then he just pinned me and–" Joon-woo pointed towards Reggie. "He helped. He helped, he did."

The security guard evaluated Joon-woo's appearance and nodded with a frown. The guard surely knew that Joon-woo and Reggie were close. He looked towards Kim Seo-jun with sudden disdain.

The security guard sighed, "Fifteen minutes before the finals, you pull this?" He asked Kim Seo-jun.

"Officer– believe me, please. I had no intention of doing that. I wasn't. I wouldn't. They're framing me!" Kim Seo-jun practically begged.

The security guard scoffed. He took Kim Seo-jun by the bicep. "Come with me." Then he looked to Joon-woo and Reggie. "You two clean up in the bathroom. After the finals this incident will be discussed."

Joon-woo and Reggie nodded, watching as Kim Seo-jun got tugged away by security. Reggie flipped him off discreetly.

And then they were alone.

Joon-woo felt the emotion of the situation crash through. He processed what had happened and it hit like a bullet train. He took a deep sigh and felt his hands begin to shake.

"Joon-ah?" Reggie asked, concern coating his face. "Do you, do you need a second?"

Joon-woo shook his head. "No– I'll deal. Let's just get this damn show over with." He replied. He knew his nightmares would feel extra real tonight.

–+–

The make-up artists, for once, were quiet when Joon-woo went to get his make-up redone. In fact, the other contestants had seen Kim Seo-jun get taken away by security and saw Joon-woo. Perhaps rumors were already forming.

He wondered if it was ever worth this much effort. He wondered what, if he didn't debut, what he would do with himself. He was really tired of this industry. It was like there was a curse on him, trapping him within an industry so toxic. Maybe it would be fun to debut here. But anywhere else?

Should I just end my own life if I don't debut here? He asked himself in a low hum.

"Joon-woo." Kite called. "You doing okay?"

Joon-woo nodded, "Yeah."

Do I have to go out to buy sleeping pills? I recall buying them last time I was home...

Kite frowned at Joon-woo with a disbelieving nod.

I might need to buy more though. I don't think I'll have enough...

The speakers sputtered and Joon-woo was knocked out of his thoughts.

"All contestants and staff please return to the stage room."

Joon-woo began that way, fixing his stage outfit as best he could. He had already tried to make it as the stylists did originally, but the wrinkles in his skirt were inevitable with the situation prior.

He spotted Mi Yong and Jung Hyun-Ok conversing with a few people ahead. Joon-woo didn't catch up to them. He saw Baek Du-Ho keeping to himself a few people behind and glared.

He wasn't really sure what he wanted anymore. But, Joon-woo figured he would be the happiest he could with his new group of friends. It was a matter of if the good relations he kept with the producers would pay off. After Producer Jang-Soo's was wiped off the earth and all that pity for Joon-woo left, he was relying on almost nothing.

Perhaps someone with his luck was hopeless?

Joon-woo felt Carre and Kite staring at him from their respective views. Worried, maybe. Joon-woo didn't really care. They lived their weird supernatural lives taking miserable yet experienced souls and putting them in other miserable bodies. They wanted him to bust his ass in an industry that ruined him just to be forgotten in the end.

What would happen to them if he killed himself? Perhaps they would get in trouble with God or something. Or maybe they would just bring him back. Yeah, they probably would.

Reggie snuck behind him and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. Joon-woo didn't flinch. He didn't really flinch to Reggie's touch anymore.

"You ready?" Reggie asked and Joon-woo couldn't help but notice the double meaning of the question.

"I want to be." Joon-woo replied slightly honestly.

Reggie smiled weakly at Joon-woo as rumors assimilated around them. "We'll debut together, for sure."

"Okay." Joon-woo replied quietly.

He really wanted that to be the case.